Health Journey During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic really heightened my awareness of my health, especially when I began experiencing unexpected symptoms. At the start of the lockdown, I felt unusually fatigued, so I decided to get some bloodwork done just to be safe. The results didn’t raise any alarms; the only thing they suggested was that I might have had mono recently, which could explain the fatigue.

As time went on, I started feeling what I thought was anxiety—well, 2020 was a pretty anxious year, after all. I had such severe shortness of breath that climbing a flight of stairs left me gasping for air. When I consulted my doctors, they kept attributing it to mono, anxiety, or possibly COVID-19. They told me to wait three months and, if things didn’t improve, I could see a cardiologist.

Not surprisingly, my condition didn’t get better.

Three months later, I visited a cardiologist who examined my heart and said it appeared normal. They suspected I might be dealing with long COVID and advised me to come back if the shortness of breath persisted. But during the lockdown, I was mostly sedentary, and unfortunately, I continued to get worse without realizing it.

When some restrictions lifted in 2021, my mom and I planned a little getaway to Miami. Just before our trip from New Jersey, I unexpectedly developed a horrible sore throat. I visited my doctor, who thought it might be strep throat and proceeded to test me.

By the time we arrived in Miami, the sore throat was more intense. I followed up with my doctor, and he confirmed it was indeed strep throat, prescribing antibiotics I could pick up during my stay.

However, things escalated quickly over the next several days.

I developed what seemed like a rash all over my body and had broken blood vessels on my face. My lymph nodes swelled to golf-ball sizes, and the pain in my throat was so intense that I couldn’t swallow. It felt a bit over the top, but I called my doctor who said I should head to the emergency room immediately. After what felt like a long wait, a nurse practitioner examined me and declared that it was just mono. I was given steroids and sent home.

As I got ready to leave Miami, I suddenly experienced the worst back pain I had ever felt. I have no idea how I managed to get on the plane, but somehow I did. Back home, I woke up the next day and knew deep down something was really wrong. Still, I tried to convince myself that I was being overly dramatic—surely the doctors knew best.

‘I Was a Ticking Time Bomb’

Eventually, I couldn’t ignore the worsening symptoms that clearly weren’t just anxiety or mono.

I asked my mom to take me to urgent care because I was losing my vision. Upon seeing me, the staff at urgent care immediately advised a trip to the emergency room. Even then, I thought I might be exaggerating, questioning whether it was really necessary to go back again.

Nevertheless, they conducted blood tests and planned for a CT scan since they suspected my back pain might stem from a kidney infection. As I was being wheeled for the scan, a doctor rushed down the hall with alarming news about my blood results. Without further testing, he declared that my bloodwork was severely out of whack and said it was likely leukemia.

When I was finally diagnosed, my white blood cell count was extraordinarily high while my red blood cell count was dangerously low. The doctors told me I was basically a ticking time bomb and could have gone into cardiac arrest any moment. If I hadn’t gone to the hospital when I did, I may only have had a week or two left.

Everything began to spin, and time felt like it froze. I was just 25 and had hardly begun to live. I wanted to get married and start a family, yet it all felt snatched away.

‘I Was in Hospital for 118 Days Straight’

My family established a rule: no Googling my condition. Luckily, my doctors were also attentive, ensuring I wasn’t overwhelmed by the severity of what I faced. This helped me to navigate the ordeal in a bizarrely calm state.

I underwent 24-hour chemotherapy for an entire week, but the plan was to then continue outpatient treatment. However, after my counts fell dramatically, I found myself unable to leave the hospital since they weren’t rising as expected.

Unfortunately, the first round of chemotherapy failed, requiring us to try again. A bone marrow transplant was also in the cards, but that could only happen when my cancer cells were completely gone. Once the cancer was reduced, I was immediately scheduled for the transplant, followed by another chemotherapy session and two rounds of full-body radiation.

In total, I spent 118 days in the hospital without stepping outside.

It was especially challenging due to COVID restrictions. I could only have one visitor at a time, and my mom chose to leave her job, relocate to New York City, and be by my side daily. I didn’t get to see anyone else, but my family supported me in countless ways, like video calling me during meals so I wouldn’t eat alone. They were always there when I needed to talk.

The nurses did everything in their power to help. They became friends to me, creating a warm, sorority-like atmosphere. In fact, some even attended my wedding.

The moment I finally got discharged was surreal. My immune system was gone, I was on about 60 pills a day, and I struggled to walk for more than five minutes. The relentless treatment had left me utterly drained, but physical therapy allowed me to slowly regain my life.

Before cancer, I was really into fitness. Doctors warned me my body wouldn’t be able to handle the same routines, but I was reluctant to accept that. I tried to push my limits each day—a tough journey to start, yet I began to recover. Eventually, I established a routine that suited me and rebuilt my strength.

Now, I’m in the best shape of my life and my endurance is stronger than ever. Doctors said I’d probably never have a family, yet here I am, married and expecting my first child. My life is everything I dreamed of.

It’s important to remember that doctors aren’t infallible. The diagnosis I received felt like a death sentence, but I refused to become just another statistic. In July, I will celebrate five years in remission and have achieved so much that once seemed impossible.

When you maintain mental strength and don’t give up, your body often follows suit. If you believe it, you truly can make it happen.

Lindsay Kassab, 30, from New Jersey, is a certified holistic health coach who shares her recovery journey on social media.